FEATURE: Ghost//Signals – Bunch Of Fives

Top five ‘loster’ venues from the dark indie popsters

By NARC.
on Monday, January 22nd, 2018

Image by Alex Lanning

Ahead of their performance alongside Pet Crow and Casual Threats on a stormer of a bill at Little Buildings on Saturday 17th February. We caught up with Rick from dark indie popsters Ghost//Signals for a new Bunch Of Fives. Over to you Rick…

The theme is Newcastle’s ‘loster’ than lost venues – basically long gone venues formerly hosted by the region, not quite on par with the likes of the Riverside, Mayfair etc but still deserving of an acknowledgement due to their rich (and mostly DIY!) gig history.

Disclaimer – most of these places I’m not old enough to have visited, nor am I an expert (though there are plenty out there in social media world if anyone if anyone is interested).

The Guildhall, Newcastle
The location of Joy Division’s (then Warsaw) first Newcastle gig and referenced by Peter Hook in his Joy Division memoirs accordingly, back in 1977. Ghost//Signals have gigged a couple of times with TV Smith (singer with The Adverts, who were headlining that night), and I always ask about this show. He always acknowledges they were a good band, but there was certainly no early indication of what they’d go onto become (in fairness it was like their third gig!). Shout out to local legends Penetration who invited them up in the first place.

The Station, Gateshead
Okay not technically Newcastle but walking distance! The Clash did an unannounced show here in 1985. Must have been bonkers to witness as the Clash were huge only a couple of years earlier.

The Red Rooms Newcastle
Famous for hosting the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers……In my student days I worked the door on Thursday nights for a brief spell. I remember letting The Ordinary Boys and their huge entourage in for free (probably explains why my spell there was ‘brief’!), in exchange for guestlist at the following night’s gig at Northumbria Uni. It was a *relatively* cool thing to show off about (at the time) until that geezer appeared on Big Brother of course……

The Broken Doll, Newcastle
My Bloody Valentine, Carter USM, CUD….all cut their teeth here in the late 80s. I think the days of seeing a legit ‘on the rise’ touring band in a much loved DIY ‘toilet circuit’ type venue are long gone sadly.